In retail and wholesale stores and outlets, the consumer is presented with a nearly endless variety and selection of products for purchase. These products available for purchase range anywhere from sporting goods to household appliances, large and small, from collectibles to electronic devices. One aspect of almost all products available to a consumer is that nearly every product comes in some sort of packaging. There are nearly as many different package compositions and designs as there are products to package. For example, one product may come in a square cellophane or plastic wrapper while another product may come in a round paperboard box.
Another frequently used packaging system is the plastic clamshell. The plastic clamshell is commonly constructed out of thermo-formed PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or other hard plastic material. The shape and form of the plastic clamshell is dictated, in part, by the physical structure of the product to be packaged. Accordingly, a master blank or template is designed for each product that is to be packaged. Then the mechanism that provides the thermo-formed plastic packaging is retooled for that specific design run. When another product is to be packaged, the above process is repeated, which adds to the cost of the product.
FIG. 1 is a side angled perspective view of an exemplary prior art plastic clamshell package 10. Plastic clamshell package 10 has two halves, a front half 2 and a back half 3, which are then sealed around the product 1, thereby encasing the product which, in this example, is a set of headphones. The dotted line within plastic clamshell 10 represents the portions of front half 2 and back half 3 that will be melded together when sealed. The clear plastic enables the product, in this instance, the headphones, to be viewed by the consumer while being displayed at the place of purchase while also protecting the product from damage during transportation and also. Additionally, the plastic clamshell is normally much larger that the product it is encasing, as is shown in FIG. 1. This provides a measure of anti-theft protection because of the difficulty of concealment of a large and uneven package. This theft reducing trait is especially advantageous in large retail outlets and warehouse type or club membership stores or outlets.
However, the plastic clamshell is not without drawbacks. One drawback of the plastic clamshell is that it is usually quite difficult to open. While the rigidity of the plastic protects the product, it is the rigidity combined with the heat sealing process of the clamshell that prevents a consumer from easily opening the package. A sturdy pair of scissors or a large knife are but two of the implements commonly used to open the package, and given the force necessary to open the package, a consumer could conceivably injure themselves while attempting to open the clamshell package.
An additional drawback to the plastic clamshell packaging is that while the material is clear, thereby enabling a consumer to view the product, the surface is not well suited for any effective graphics to be printed thereon. As such, an alternative media for the desired effective graphics would need to be provided, which adds to the overall cost of the product, ultimately increasing the purchase price of the product.
Another drawback of the plastic clamshell is in shipping of the product. Because of the uneven or unsmooth shape and form of the plastic clamshell, extra shipping space is needed to compensate for the lack of stackability. For example, a greater number of evenly smooth shaped packages will fit within a defined space more easily than will odd-shaped, uneven, and unsmooth packages. Accordingly, this increase in shipping costs is also passed on to the consumer, increasing the overall cost of the product.
An additional drawback to the plastic clamshell is that once the package is opened and the product removed, there is the matter of disposal. As stated above, because of the rigidity of the plastic clamshell, it is not easily compressed or collapsed, and as such, can take up more home trash can space, and eventually use more space at a landfill than does a more easily collapsed or compressed package. Further, the materials used in the manufacturing of the plastic clamshell, such as e.g., PVC (polyvinyl chloride), are not being accepted by many of the curbside collection recycling centers. This can cause consumers to have environmental concerns regarding this type of packaging, such that they may forego the purchase of one product in light of a similar product in a more readily recyclable or disposable package.